The Static, Thick Skin

Barbara Slack, Highlights.  Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Genre	Theatre
Venue	Underbelly, Cowgate…..yuk
Date	21 Aug 2012

Review High octane show about a Sparky a volatile 15 year old, who can’t sit still or concentrate at school.  He’s disruptive and has been written off by his teachers, until he meets a girl who’s also a bit of an outcast.  Together they realise they have super powers and can make things happen including the terrifying prospect of their darkest fantasies coming true….  But actually it’s quite an uplifting story about  coming of age and falling in love!  It would be a great show for a youth audience.   Definitely for ages 14+ as there is a lot of swearing. Loved the set of freestanding school lockers and projection screens.  I think it would be a bit technically demanding but worth following up for venues specialising in work for young people

Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	Suitable for youth venues….NOT CHILDREN and not for general rural touring
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	I’d book them for the right venue.  Fresh, exciting, in your face, but could be technically quite demanding
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?

Barbara Slack, Highlights.  Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Name of company
Name of show	Educating Ronnie
Genre	Theatre
Venue	Assembly, George Square
Date	21 Aug

Review At this stage in the blogs, most things seem to have been said, so I’ll be brief on plot outlines.   I really enjoyed Educating Ronnie, a cautionary tale about the  nature of giving.  Created and performed by Joe Douglas, it’s a story from the heart about his experience of befriending and supporting Ronnie who  he meets on a gap year to Uganda.  10 years later and £25,000 poorer he reflects on what compelled him to carry on giving….. guilt, charity, friendship.  I liked the honesty of the piece, it was informal and intimate which I think would work well with some venues.

Why is the work suitable or for rural touring ?	One man show,  accessible, projected images which may be a problem
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	Yes I would book them.  It was engaging, real and honest which threw up issues around charitable giving which everyone could relate to

Ellen Thorpe, ArtERY live: Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Name of company	Mike Daisey
Name of show	The Agony & Ecstasy of Steve Jobs
Genre	Theatre
Venue	Gilded Balloon
Date	26.8.12

Review My second trip to EF finished with a flourish …sort of …. The presentation of The Agony & Ecstasy of Steve Jobs was a cross between lecture and stand up and gave lots and lots of facts to explore the world of Apple, linking it graphically to the industrialisation of China and the fact that Apple, for all it’s fine design – and don’t we all love it – is part of the massive electronic production in Chengdu.  The plant producing Apple products also produces ‘half of all the world’s electronic goods’ – from phones to washing machines and yes for the whole world!  The factory is owned by Foxcomm, a Taiwanese company, employing million people!  The production methods – where Apple products are made by hand because labour is cheap – is quite extraordinary and exploitative.  It’s a story of capitalism and industrialisation, except the industrialisation we know of is in history books and in China today it is accelerated and is on a scale greater than has ever been in the developed world.  The figure are staggering and hard to comprehend.  This monologue is created to make you think, and invites you to campaign to ensure companies like Apple don’t continue to exploit workers.  It reminds consumers they have power to effect change at Apple.   The Agony & Ecstasy of Steve Jobs is by Mike Daisey and performed by Grant O’Rouke and directed by Marcus Roche

Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	No suitable.
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	No.
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	No

Ellen Thorpe, ArtERY live: Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Name of company	Barbershopera
Name of show	The 3 Musketeers
Genre	Comedy a cappella, musical theatre
Venue	Pleasance Courtyard
Date	25.8.12

Review Barbershopera take us through the story of the Musketeers in a ripping yarn sort of way.  A slapstick, hilarious romp done with energy and dash, big wigs and swords and false moustache. With D'Artagnan’s village under threat of destruction by the villainous Cardinal Richtea, D'Artagnan  dresses as a man, dons a false moustache and goes to Paris to join the famous Musketeers.   The singing is excellent and the 3 male and 1 female performer work well together and re-tell this familiar epic tale in a comic and entertaining way.

Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	Yes it is suitable
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	Possibly
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	Yes

Ellen Thorpe, ArtERY live: Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Name of company	Northern Stage in association with Soho Theatre
Name of show	Oh The Humanity
Genre	Theatre
Venue	Northern Stage at St Stephen's
Date	25.8.12

Review Oh The Humanity is an interesting series of sketches or playlets.  Each one is strange, where the audience is either being addressed as though part of the ‘act’ or watching almost in a voyeuristic way.  They include: a sports coach, confessing how bad the year was but what hope and ambition there is for next year.  Full of vacuous phrases, he goes on and on and makes excuses.  Hilarious.  This is followed by a man and woman who seem to be joining a dating agency, and don’t relate to each other and aren’t connected only that both appear to be talking to their pc camera and are desperate to have a loving relationship.  Followed by a PR woman addressing a room of relatives waiting for information of those killed in a plane crash.  Sounds awful but managed to be both funny and moving.  And a couple of photographers staging a group photo.   Each one drew you in and made you laugh and squirm too.   Very interesting work, great set and staging.

Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	No suitable, it would be expensive and difficult to stage.
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	No, not appropriate work.
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	No

Ellen Thorpe, ArtERY live: Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Name of company	Whitebone Productions/ Joe Bone
Name of show	Bane 2
Genre	Theatre
Venue	Pleasance Dome
Date	25.8.12

Review Having seen Bane 3 I wanted to see another part of the trilogy and this did not disappoint.  To think Joe had worked every day of the Festival  (I saw Bane 3 early on) it is quite staggering and a testament to his energy.  It’s a great  one-man show, no set or props with live guitar accompaniment.  See what I said earlier, my praise applies here too.   The only gripe was that his following had built and though we arrived in good time it was packed and the room was so hot it became really uncomfortable.  I still enjoyed the show and want to book the show.

Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	Ready to tour, highly suitable and of high quality
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	Yes
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	It’s good work and will work in community venues

Ellen Thorpe, ArtERY live: Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Name of company	Catherine Wheels in Association With Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh
Name of show	The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk
Genre	Children’s theatre
Venue	Traverse @ Scottish Book Trust
Date	25.8.12

Review The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk is a brilliant family show dealing with name calling, bullying and the rest.  The actor was fabulous really engaging and energetic.  He tells us about a friendship between 2 boys, both outsiders who became close until one day it all changes.  The audience sits around the edge of the performing space or on mats and the performer uses all the clear space between, walking, running, jumping.  It has great pace and energy, the language is rich and the story believable and funny, one become really engrossed. The children were really taken and hung on every word.  Excellent show.

Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	Yes and it could and does tour.
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	Excellent high quality work.
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	Yes